By Hugh Fisher
hfisher@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó Sometimes, it seems that every commercial and a lot of the news items out there mention “these tough economic times.”
But families like the Lands, of Midland, didn’t seem worried as they enjoyed their “daycation” at Village Park in Kannapolis on Thursday.
“We found it on the Internet,” Kerstin Land said.
She, husband Kenneth and sister-in-law Amanda brought their eight children to the park for a fun day out.
“We rode the train, went to the Splash Pad and had lunch,” Kenneth said as the kids slid, climbed and shouted around them.
“It didn’t cost an arm and a leg, and it was a lot of fun,” Kerstin said.
The Lands are a few among thousands who will make use of Village Park this summer, thanks to the park’s low-cost and free events.
The Summer Event Series features concerts and movies at the Village Park amphitheater almost every weekend through August.
Saturday, the Andrew Theilen Big Band, a past favorite, returns to the park for a free concert at 7 p.m.
At Village Park, admission to the Splash Pad ó a paved park with sprinklers for kids ó is only $1 per child; supervising adults aren’t charged to watch their kids.
And the Rotary Express train is only $2 per rider.
Other Kannapolis parks offer a variety of athletic fields and games, such as mini golf at Bakers Creek Park for $1 per player.
Although Kannapolis has had its own separate Parks and Recreation department for less than a decade, the city draws record crowds and high praise for what it offers to residents of the city and surrounding communities.
Becky Tolle, recreation and special events coordinator, said families are surprised at the variety and the low cost.
“The word is spreading,” she said. “We’ve got people coming because of the events. We sell ice cream, drinks and snacks, or people can bring their own. We’re not going to charge them an arm and a leg.”
At Village Park, the picnic shelters are booked solid every Saturday until the middle of August.
The first batch of punchcards used as season passes to the Splash Pad sold out, and more had to be ordered ó a first for the water park in its second full summer open.
And while Tolle said other cities that offer outdoor movies might draw several hundred people, Kannapolis’ Movies In The Park consistently attracts 1,000-plus.
She estimated the crowd at May’s first movie, “Wall-E,” at over 1,500.
“The animated movies, especially, have had huge crowds,” she said.
Tolle said that her department is good at tailoring its offerings to the community’s needs.
“What we do is obviously popular, and it’s obviously needed in our community,” Tolle said.
That “community” includes many from Salisbury, Concord and surrounding communities who travel to Kannapolis just for these events.
Also popular are the children’s events offered in conjunction with the Cabarrus County Library’s Kannapolis branch.
Children’s musician and entertainer Roger Day performed at Village Park on Tuesday, drawing several hundred kids and family members.
The annual Stories Under The Stars series brings a mix of different cultures and lessons to the library for Saturday nights on the library’s patio. Poet Allen Wolf comes to town for the next installment on August 29.
“We have a lot of things scheduled that will be a lot of fun,” said Kathy Carrico, library assistant.
“It seems a lot of people are doing ‘staycations,’ and they come to the library,” Carrico said.
With prices for traditional summer diversions like theme parks and summer camps rising, families around Cabarrus and Rowan counties have many options to choose from in Kannapolis.
Even the summer campers themselves are joining in.
“This is one of our most cost-efficient field trips,” said Ben Garren, coordinator of a children’s day camp for the West Cabarrus YMCA.
“We’ve enjoyed it. We had a time getting the kids out of there,” he said, referring to the nearby Splash Pad.
“It’s close to us. It’s a good fit.”

This weekend:
Tonight, starting around 8:45 p.m., the film ěKung Fu Pandaî will be showing in Village Park, at Loop Road and West C Street in Kannapolis.
Saturday, the Andrew Theilen Big Band takes the stage at 7 p.m.
Both events are free and open to the public.
Refreshments are available. Coolers and lawn chairs are permitted; pets, alcohol and glass bottles are not.
For more information, call Kannapolis Parks and Recreation at 704-920-4343.
Information on Kannapolis parks and special events can be found at www.cityofkannapolis.com/dept_parks_recreation.asp.